On this blog I really try to give all perspectives. Therefore, today I have written two exactly opposite posts to let my readers decide who to agree with. Please see 10 Reasons Parents Should Not Encourage Legalizing Marijuana today–you decide which you agree with.

10 Reasons Why Marijuana Should Be Legal…and Parents Should Encourage It

Marijuana is a Personal Choice Not a Governmental One

“The government only has a right to limit those choices if the individual’s actions endanger someone else. This does not apply to marijuana, since the individual who chooses to use marijuana does so according to his or her own free will. The government also may have a right to limit individual actions if the actions pose a significant threat to the individual. But this argument does not logically apply to marijuana because marijuana is far less dangerous than some drugs which are legal, such as alcohol and tobacco. Individuals deserve the right to decide whether or not they should use marijuana. The government should not tell individuals what to do as long as they do not harm others.” (http://www.mjlegal.org)

Keeping Marijuana Illegal is Very Expensive.

We currently spend billions of dollars every year to tracking down marijuana users. Taxpayers “have to pay for food, housing, health care, attorney fees, court costs, and other expenses to lock these people up. This is extremely expensive! In addition, if marijuana were legal, the government would be able to collect taxes on it, and would have a lot more money to pay for effective drug education programs and other important causes.” (http://www.mjlegal.org)

Prohibition is Failing

“There is no good evidence that prohibition decreases drug use, and there are several theories that suggest prohibition might actually increase drug use (i.e. the “forbidden fruit” effect, and easier accessibility for youth)…It is actually easier for many high school students to obtain marijuana than it is for them to obtain alcohol, because alcohol is legal and therefore regulated to keep it away from kids.” (http://www.mjlegal.org) “The government has tried to use criminal penalties to prevent marijuana use for over 75 years and yet: marijuana is now used by over 25 million people annually, cannabis is currently the largest cash crop in the United States, and marijuana is grown all over the planet.” (http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/60959/)

Illegality Makes Marijuana Treatment Programs Impossible

“If our goal is to reduce drug consumption, then we should focus on open and honest programs to educate youth, regulation to keep drugs away from kids, and treatment programs for people with drug problems. But the current prohibition scheme does not allow such reasonable approaches to marijuana. Policies that result in jail time rather than treatment for people with drug problems.” (http://www.mjlegal.org)

Illegality Encourages Dealing

“A regulated, legal market in marijuana would reduce marijuana sales and use among teenagers, as well as reduce their exposure to other drugs in the illegal market. The illegality of marijuana makes it more valuable than if it were legal, providing opportunities for teenagers to make easy money selling it to their friends. If the excessive profits for marijuana sales were ended through legalization there would be less incentive for teens to sell it to one another.” (http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/60959/)

Less Money for Gangs

“Legalized marijuana would reduce the flow of money from the American economy to international criminal gangs. Marijuana’s illegality makes foreign cultivation and smuggling to the United States extremely profitable, sending billions of dollars overseas in an underground economy while diverting funds from productive economic development.” (http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/60959/)

Hemp is a Sustainable Crop

“Marijuana’s legalization would simplify the development of hemp as a valuable and diverse agricultural crop in the United States, including its development as a new bio-fuel to reduce carbon emissions. Canada and European countries have managed to support legal hemp cultivation without legalizing marijuana, but in the United States opposition to legal marijuana remains the biggest obstacle to development of industrial hemp as a valuable agricultural commodity. As US energy policy continues to embrace and promote the development of bio-fuels as an alternative to oil dependency and a way to reduce carbon emissions, it is all the more important to develop industrial hemp as a bio-fuel source.” (http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/60959/)

Research is Unclear

“Justification of marijuana’s illegality increasingly requires distortions and selective uses of the scientific record, causing harm to the credibility of teachers, law enforcement officials, and scientists throughout the country. Many claims of marijuana’s danger are based on old 20th century prejudices that originated in a time when science was uncertain how marijuana produced its characteristic effects. Since the cannabinoid receptor system was discovered in the late 1980s these hysterical concerns about marijuana’s dangerousness have not been confirmed with modern research. Everyone agrees that marijuana, or any other drug use such as alcohol or tobacco use, is not for children. Nonetheless, adults have demonstrated over the last several decades that marijuana can be used moderately without harmful impacts to the individual or society.” (http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/60959/)

Marijuana is Not Lethal and Safer than Other Legal Substances

“Marijuana is not a lethal drug and is safer than alcohol. It is established scientific fact that marijuana is not toxic to humans; marijuana overdoses are nearly impossible, and marijuana is not nearly as addictive as alcohol or tobacco. It is unfair and unjust to treat marijuana users more harshly under the law than the users of alcohol or tobacco.” (http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/60959/)

Marijuana Has Positive Uses

“Marijuana use has positive attributes, such as its medical value and use as a recreational drug with relatively mild side effects. Many people use marijuana because they have made an informed decision that it is good for them, especially Americans suffering from a variety of serious ailments. Marijuana provides relief from pain, nausea, spasticity, and other symptoms for many individuals who have not been treated successfully with conventional medications. Marijuana use is the result of informed consent in which individuals have decided that the benefits of use outweigh the risk.” (http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/60959/)

Please see 10 Reasons Parents Should Not Encourage Legalizing Marijuana today–you decide which you agree with.

I never had a problem with telling my daughter I’m for legalization of cannabis. Her friends know how I feel about it too.

I let her know that if there was a choice between alcohol and cannabis, I would much prefer that young people be consuming cannabis rather than alcohol, especially if there were any teenage boys driving. Cannabis is much, much safer than alcohol in so many ways.

My daughter’s 20 now, never had a problem with drugs, makes straight A’s, grades papers, tutors football players, used to be a cheerleader until she got too busy. She drinks a little, but I’m pretty sure she never smokes cannabis because I can smell even trace amounts of it. I’d still rather she consumed cannabis rather than alcohol, except for the legal implications.

What a frank and honest entry. I love it.
One thing to point out from a Canadian perspective.
While you are technically correct that there is legal hemp production in Canada, from what I understand of the process it is a long and arduous approval, with many legal hoops to jump through. Basically impossible for a small farmer to achieve. Unwarranted fear about cannabis still stifles that wonderful industry up here too.

This list missed what I think is the most important reason parents should be for legalization. The lies that are told about MJ in the prohibition propaganda are unveiled the first time someone tries it, or is with people who are enjoying some THC, or, for the more perceptive, even if they know people who partake of the good green.

Fine and good, the falsehoods disappear like a puff of smoke on a windy day. Here is where the trouble comes in, for now what of all those other illegal drugs? Is the information they have been fed about those false as well? Reasonable to think when one uncovers a lie, that the rest of the information form the same source is just as misleading. This nearly ensures that youth will look into trying harder drugs, just to see for themselves. None of the other illegal drugs are as safe as MJ. Most can be really harmful, some even if tired just once.

The government lies too much! I could have sworn I heard that a reason marijuana was illegal in the U.S is because the government had no way to tax it! The governement would lie for anything just to get there way! and to reel in all those big time patriotic people! Now think about this…how are any of us sure that anything that we thin is “right” is actually right! We have been brain washed since birth! The ‘herb’ is a natural earthly made plant that grew from the ground…from dirt! The only thing the herb does is relaxes you and leaves you with a good little munchie side affect! oh great! lol…Well see how is alcohal legal then if the affects are really seriously severe! Its a man made drink that can burn the shit out of your liver and causes you to lose control of yourself. How often do you ever hear about any car accidents dealing with people who are under the influence of marijuana! Its always because of alcohal!…It also leaves an ugly hangover afterwards unlike marijuana that just leaves you sleepy and then mentally refreshed the next day! Now seriously which one is more safe???….The government can not tax it! So thats why it’s illegal! Because government wants control of everything and everyone! This is a greedy ass country!

I don’t know if I was more surprised or excited to read this article, particularly since I assume that it was written by a kid. I was just as much surprized and excited by the comments, which for the most part suggest that the prejudice against pot is finally succumbing to reasoning and factual information.

I recently wrote an article with the title, Why Parents Should Support Legal Pot, at http://www.actionactivist.com, which some of you might find helpful as well.

I don’t know if I was more surprised or excited to read this article, particularly since I assume that it was written by a kid. I was just as much surprized and excited by the comments, which for the most part suggest that the prejudice against pot is finally succumbing to reasoning and factual information.

I recently wrote an article with the title, Why Parents Should Support Legal Pot, at http://www.actionactivist.com, which some of you might find helpful as well.

im just a student doing a reasearch project on marijuan wether it shud be legalized or not and im all for legalizing it evan tho ive never tried it there are more positive things about weed than there are negative and honestly if it can help the sick then let them use it there no point in making them suffer by using a drug that migh5t work or use a drug that we know will work